This project has opportunities for the following undergraduates:

Co-op/Summer/NSERC USRA students

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Position: Image Processing and Model Developer
Organization: UBC Electrical and Computer Engineering Dept.
Activity: Imaging and Modeling and OSA

Work Term: 4 months (Summer 2008), with the possibility to extend

Description:

This exciting project involves extracting geometric shapes from medicial image data and importing them into the ArtiSynth framework. We ultimately are planning to create a complete upper airway anatomical model as well as a model of the airway itself. We will be using MR and Cone-CT data. You will be working closely with medical imaging experts to understand the tools used to extract the anatomical geometry.

This project combines computer graphics, physical modeling, and Java technology within a open-source platform for creating and simulating dynamical models of anatomical structures. ArtiSynth provides an API for creating models from a library of components (e.g., rigid bodies, deformable bodies, muscles, springs), as well as a GUI for editing and interactive simulation control. Its primary mission is modeling the human vocal tract and surrounding head structures, and it is intended as a research tool for applications in speech, linguistics, medicine, and dentistry.

We're looking for someone with excellent software skills who really enjoys programming and learning new tools in image processing and medical image analysis. Necessary skills include knowledge of Java, a knack for learning new software tools, interest in medical image processing, good understanding of software patterns and abstractions, and the ability to work independently. Knowledge of computer graphics techniques, vector and matrix algebra, and image processing would be a plus.

Responsibilities may include:

1. working with our imaging group to organize data acquisition
2. organizing a database of medical image data
3. using various image processing toolkits (itk, Rhino, Amira, etc) to segment and extract 3D geometry
4. implementing easy-to-use tools to help automate the tasks of importing 3D geometry into artisynth
5. extending the component library or the existing anatomical models.
6. Documenting the models

If you have an interest in physically-based animation and simulation, this is an exciting project to be involved in. Hours are flexible and the work environment is academic and informal. ArtiSynth is an open-source project and is freely distributed to the biomedical and speech research communities, and so this is an excellent opportunity to work on a real world system with a broad application audience.

Salary: $8,000 to $10,000 per term depending upon qualifications.

Contact: Dr. John Lloyd, Computer Science Dept., 822-4946, or Dr. Sidney Fels, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 822-5338.

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